News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-03-17
Vermont vs.. Dakota.

1t is the possible future rise in the
value of land which makes young
men and men of families leave New
England for the West. 1t is barely
possible that ordinary farm land
bought at SIS to s25 an acre in Min
nesota, Dakota or Kansas may in
crease in value so as to prove bet
ter investment than purchases of land
at similar figures in the older settled
State of Vermont. One thing, how
ever, is certain. If men and women
are satisfied to live in Vermont as
they expect to do in three-quarters of
the cases in the newer Western States,
there would be opportunities IN every
town in Vermont for cheap land and
abundant prosperity.
For instance, few days since, "a
acres of pasture land in this vicinity
(Charlotte) with living water, sold at
S24 per acre. The land lies within
four miles of the railroad station,
mill, church, store and other evidenc-
es of civilization. Not a rod of the
land but can be plowed, and the grain
cut with a Irvine binder. Notwith-
standing this, young men raised in
Vermont are leaving this very town,
going to Minnesota and paying $22
per acre for farms worth nothing in
the shape of buildings on them, with
only an apology for log house and
perhaps a straw howell for stock.
Suppose, for instance, that quar-
ter section, say 100 acres of land, in
Minnesota can be sold ten or twenty
years hence at $40 per acre. What
is it going to cost to erect the build
ings upon such farm to make it
command these prices? Suppose the
farmers of cheap lands here in Ver-
mont put up log huts, if they can do
no better, drive an OK team to market,
mill and church, just as they do in
the West. Now if they will submit
to these economies here in Vermont,
So can be made in this State where
| fifty cents can be secured on the biz
zard swept, alkali plains of Dakota.
Grumbling and complaining never
made money anywhere. If man
has small means to commence with,
he must be industrious and economi-
cal. He must rigidly adhere to living
within his income. There may be a
fascination in new life in newer States
but once there, families who have
known better times, put up with in
conveniences and positive hardships
that would not be thought of in New
England for moment.
In Northeastern Vermont there
are thousands of acres of first-class
lands, which have been and are now
being cleared by lumbermen of theil
old growth, which can be bought
with the stumpage and the small
timber still standing, for $50 tc
i $3.50 per acre. these are not noun.
tain lands, but the majority of then
will, when subdued, make excellent
farms. But who thinks of ''roughine
it" in Vermont? And the very mel
who leave behind them here whole
townships unorganized, without set
tier in them, migrate West to SILVER
60 ragged and perhaps 60 hungry
sometimes, in the great "wheat belts
of Minnesota or Dakota.
1t may seem a waste of time tc
write about these matters, but they
suggest matters worth serious thought
If, in our periodical returns to ole
fashions in dress and in furniture, We
would return to the old days of prim
tive living, and make it possible fol-
o poor man to drive to church in his
double wagon or ox-sled without
being laughed at, we should be doing
the country good service, because il
might induce our young men to buy